The invention relates to a contactless plug connector for electromagnetically connecting a corresponding mating connector. In particular, the invention provides a contactless plug connector and contactless plug connector system including a transmitting circuit and/or receiving circuit for transmitting and/or receiving a radio wave of a predetermined carrier frequency.
Generally, the invention relates to contactless plug connectors for data transmissions. A contactless plug connector of the invention may, for instance, comply with known connection interface standards, for instance, Ethernet, USB, CAN, IO-link and RS485. Alternatively or in addition, the contactless plug connector of the invention may be utilized for industrial devices such as robots, material handling systems, injection molding devices, mining & harvesting equipment and transportation vehicles amongst others and for portable data processing devices such as mobile phones, mobile storage units, mobile music players, mobile video presentation devices, namely for allowing data and power connections under hostile environmental influences.
Industrial devices often rely on cables and connectors, operating in a hostile environment, which wear and tear and do not allow for rotation limiting the freedom of movements of these devices.
Portable data processing devices have evolved in the past from quasi stationary laptop computers to mobile devices allowing for an indoor and outdoor usage. Due to the portability, mobile devices are carried around and are thereby exposed to hostile environmental influences, e.g. dust, dirt, humidity, rain, acid liquids, heat, cold, shock and mechanical stress. In this respect, the connectors of a mobile device, positioned at the boundary between an outside and an inside of the mobile device, require adaptation to the newly diversified operating environments.
For a long time, plug connectors have been realized as electrical connectors wherein an electrical contact is established between the plug connector and a corresponding mating connector, i.e. receptacle connector.
However, electrical connections are limited to a direct connection between two electrical contacts and the tolerance regarding misalignment between contacts is not very high. Dust, dirt, shock and mechanical stress may adversely effect the establishment of an electrical connection between plug connector and receptacle connector.
Electrical connections are also sensitive to humidity e.g. rain as water may short-circuit electrical contacts in an unintended manner. Further, environmental influences may also deteriorate the contact surface reducing the conductivity of the connector in a mated state.
Accordingly, electrical connectors, though reasonable for an indoor operating environment, are disadvantageous for portable devices operable under more hostile environmental influences.
In the recent past, wireless interfaces have become popular for mobile devices as they overcome disadvantages inherent to an electrical connection. Radio waves do not require a direct contact (i.e. electrical connection). Accordingly, mobile devices have been designed to incorporate the appropriate radio wave transceiver modules in the housing of the mobile device. In particular, by sealing transceiver modules and other electrical circuits within the housing of a mobile device, it is possible to also established data connections with a mobile device under hostile environmental influences.
However, wireless connections are adversely affected by electromagnetic interference. In general, electromagnetic interference is prevalent for wireless connections spanning large distances, e.g. 20 to 100 m. In order to bridge large distances with a wireless connection, wireless transceiver modules have been adapted by increasing the transmit power. Although a higher transmit-power enables reception at large distance, the mutual electromagnetic interference between mobile devices of a same type using a same electromagnetic connection is disadvantageous.
In this respect, transmission control protocols have been introduced to prevent from plural transmissions at a same point in time on a same frequency using said high transmit power. However, wireless connections employing transmission control protocols are disadvantageous over electrical connections as they require a high signaling and processing overhead. Further, the transmission control protocols cannot provide a transparent connection between mobile devices since the signaling and processing overhead adds a considerable delay to the connection.
In other words, due to the above described disadvantageous of the wireless connections, for indoor environments electrical plug connectors may be regarded more versatile in terms of transparent connection establishment.